November 6, 2003
(Clearwisdom.net) When clarifying the truth, I am often hindered by human notions. I feel lighthearted and happy when things go smoothly. I feel discouraged when people don't want to listen to me or don't respect Teacher. In fact, there are many aspects of looking inside on this matter. When I look at my mental state on clarifying the truth, I find that I am more effective in clarifying the truth when I am in a good mental state and am not hindered by human attachments, unless I face those who can no longer be saved.
On one occasion, I was clarifying the truth to the former general manager of my work unit and his friends. He was aware of the fact that I am a good person. I had introduced Dafa to him many times and he also knew that Dafa is good. However, when he introduced me to his friends, besides telling them that I was a good person, he also said some negative words about Dafa, following the government's propaganda. I was a little unhappy. Then he immediately said, "See, I just said a line of what the government said and you become unhappy ..." I suddenly realized that I was blocked by human notions, and then eliminated the evil factors behind them. I also found a very bad attachment of mine: the desire of relying on ordinary people, which gave the evil a loophole to take advantage of. I had expected to use my relationship of being his colleague to clarify the truth to his friends, and hoped for him to help clarify the truth as well. But it turned out to be the opposite.
I thought about Teacher's words, and realized that I shouldn't rely on ordinary people. I should just talk about how we are persecuted, and they would be able to accept it. Having found my attachment, I calmly told people around me, "Freedom of belief is allowed according to the Constitution, and appealing is a citizen's legal right. But I was dismissed from my job simply because I spoke the truth that, 'Falun Dafa is good.' I endured all kinds of torture, and was sent to labor camp three times. I was on a hunger strike and nearly died before they carried me out. If I had said I wouldn't practice anymore, I could have earned a salary of 2,000 Yuan a month. What kind of law is this? As long as you truly remember in your heart that Falun Dafa is good, you will have good fortune." When my compassion came out, none of them argued with me. They all listened to me quietly. Teacher seriously told us in "Teaching the Fa at the Washington, D.C. International Fa Conference",
"...any desire you have can become an attachment and can be used by the evil. As soon as that kind of thought emerges, the evil might conjure a false image for you, and this will then cause interference. Cherish the present time and make the best use of it -- this time is meant for the disciples."
This experience gave me a deeper understanding of this paragraph of Teacher's lecture. I realized how important it is to keep a pure heart while clarifying the truth.
Actually, Teacher told us in "Teaching the Fa at the Australia Fa Conference,"
"Even if you badmouth me, I will not hold a grievance against you, because my mind is not at the level of everyday people. Whether you say that I am good or bad, whether you say that I am a god or a human, I won't be moved, because no human thoughts can move me. If you can reach the state that I have, then you are already not far from cultivating to Consummation." [Unofficial translation]
During the course of our clarifying the truth, we may encounter all kinds of situations. It should be enough as long as we keep our righteous thoughts, treat everybody with compassion, and clearly clarify the truth of Dafa. Just as Teacher said in Hong Yin,
"Do but pursue not
Often stay in the Dao."
("In the Dao")
"Cultivation depends on one's own efforts, while the transformation of
gong is done by one's Teacher."
(Zhuan Falun)
We just do what a Dafa disciple should do, and then everything is part of cultivation. As to what people would like to choose, it is up to them. If we do not do well, then the result may not be what we expected, and the evil may take advantage.
This reminded me of a story in Buddhism that Teacher told us in Lecture Six of Zhuan Falun,
"There once was a person who became an Arhat after much effort in cultivation. As he was just about to attain Right Fruit in cultivation and become an Arhat, how could he not be happy? He was going to transcend the Three Realms! Yet this excitement is an attachment, an attachment of elation. An Arhat should be free of attachments, with a heart that cannot be affected. But he failed, and his cultivation ended up in vain. Since he failed, he had to start all over again. He resumed his cultivation, and after much painstaking effort he again succeeded in his cultivation. This time he became scared and reminded himself in his mind: 'I shouldn't get excited. Otherwise, I'll fail again.' With this fear, he failed again. Fear is also a kind of attachment."
From this we can see that cultivation is an extremely serious matter. My understanding is that our cultivation is different from that in Buddhism -- we change from the microscopic level, and Teacher has separated the part of us that has fully cultivated, so as to prevent us from dropping down; nonetheless, the requirement for every practitioner in Dafa cultivation is absolutely strict and righteous. In cultivation, the attachments need to be rid of one after another. Teacher had told us a truth at the beginning of Zhuan Falun,
"...the entire cultivation process for a practitioner is one of constantly giving up human attachments." "...as no human attachment can be taken to heaven." ("Teaching the Fa at the Western U.S. Fa Conference")
Thus we must strictly discipline ourselves in our cultivation, and reach the state of not being affected by any ordinary people's attachments.
After realizing this principle, during my truth clarification, I no longer argued anxiously with those who had taken a deviated path. I am not emotionally driven anymore, and neither do I feel deterred by those who don't listen to the truth clarification. People behave irrationally because they do not know the truth, and it is the evil that restrains them from listening to the truth. If our minds are affected, it would allow the evil to reach its purpose, and we at this point actually drop down to everyday people's level. At this time our words would not carry the power of the Fa, and thus the effect would not be good either.
Later on I again found the fellow practitioner who had been imprisoned many times together with me but had enlightened along an evil path. I was able to keep a pure and serene mind to clarify the facts to her. I gave her Teacher's lectures, new articles and the booklet, "To Former Fellow Practitioners." I told her that the booklet told my heartfelt words, and that Teacher was still waiting for her. Her husband kept saying some rude words, yet I was not affected whatsoever. My purpose was to help her and give her the Fa, and that was all I wanted to do. Eventually she accepted all the materials with gratitude. She said unlike some other practitioners who were "not compassionate," my mindset was good, and she promised to read the materials. Actually the first time I went to see her I was not in the mindset of a cultivator; instead, there was anxiety, complaint, helplessness and disappointment. I was emotionally driven and not compassionate, as she said, and the effect was not good. This time I finally held the right mindset, which I know was due to Teacher's help. I sincerely hope she can be clear-minded again. I also hope practitioners can again help those who deviated from Dafa according to different circumstances. Please do not feel disheartened by them; your great compassion can melt anything!
This is just my personal understanding. Please kindly point out anything improper. Thank you!